Congenital release thrombocytopathy: pathophysiology and management.

Congenital release thrombocytopathy must be included in the differential diagnosis of bleeding diatheses in women. A review of the coagulation profiles of 7 patients with congenital release thrombocytopathy suggests that more sophisticated platelet aggregation studies must be performed when routine screening procedures fail to determine the cause of a clinically suspected bleeding disorder. Establishing the diagnosis helps to avoid the use of medications which cause an acquired platelet dysfunction, and contributes to adequate prophylaxis against surgical and obstetric hemorrhage.